He glanced up, and Lily gave him a sly wink. Did she know how taken he was with Shar? Did she agree with him that there was no way Shar could be the stalker? He knew she’d switched plates, but he guessed she did it to make him and Gunner laugh. Not because she truly believed Shar could ever hurt anyone.
He went back to enjoying his dinner. The only thing that would make it more enjoyable was if he could see the gorgeous chef, rave over her food, and embarrass both of them. Glancing back at the double doors to the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of dark, wavy hair, smooth tanned skin, and those deep brown eyes. She met his gaze and backed away as if embarrassed to be caught staring.
He grinned broadly at her, giving her a thumbs up to show her he loved the food and hoping, hoping she’d come talk to them. She smiled back but rushed from the open doorway back into the kitchen.
Mike’s shoulders sagged. He turned his focus back on the food. At least he had the mouthwatering lobster to distract him from Shar not coming to talk with him. He caught Gunner’s eye. Gunner had noticed the interaction. Of course he had, Gunner didn’t miss much. His protection detail looked as if he didn’t approve, and as if his suspicions were stronger than ever.
“I am such a wimp. I am such a wimp,” Shar muttered under her breath. She’d stepped into her office and shut the door, and luckily Kelly or Anna hadn’t followed her. The two had been harping on her all night to get out there and talk to Mike. She wanted to, but she was scared. Last night, and again this morning, there’d been definite moments where he seemed to either think she was nuts or act leery of her. She didn’t want to drive him away.
But it was her family out there. Well, at least Ally and Preston were her family. She shouldn’t be scared to go talk to them. Straightening her spine, she pulled off her apron, fluffed her hair, put on some fresh lipstick, and stormed out of her office.
Anna was luckily out serving, but Kelly, Isabelle, and the assistant chefs all looked up. “Oh, yeah, baby,” Kelly said, “She’s a woman on a mission.”
“Watch out,” Shar threw back at her.
“It’s Mike Kohler who’d better watch out.” Kelly winked.
Shar nodded. “That’s right.” She pushed through the double doors, with Kelly’s laughter following her. Striding out into the restaurant, her feet carried her much too fast to the round table with the five people she’d been discreetly peeking on all night. She stopped short before she plowed into the side of Mike’s chair. Which would be a problem because she might fall onto his lap, and then who knew what she might do to him?
“Hey,” she said as all eyes swung to hers. Most importantly, a pair of deep brown eyes that seemed to sear right into her. “How was dinner?”
“Fabulous,” Lily gushed out. “I’ve never had scampi that good, and the cheesecake was unreal too. It’s the scampi I’ll be dreaming about though. The sauce was so creamy, yet it didn’t feel too heavy. If that makes sense?”
Shar nodded. “Thanks, Lily. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Ally pointed at Lily. “She swapped our meals, claiming you would’ve made mine extra special, but mine was fabulous too.”
Shar laughed. Lily was a unique person. “I should do something special for my twin, but they came from the same batch, sorry Lily.”
Lily just grinned and, for some reason, poked her husband in the side. “I’m not complaining. Loved it.”
“Mine was amazing, as always,” Preston said. “Why don’t you move to Atlanta and be our personal chef?”
“Well, first off you couldn’t afford me.”
Preston guffawed at that.
“But it’s also smarter to have your light and healthy chef. You’d have to roll onto the football field if you ate my Southern specialties every day.” Shar was dying to hear what Mike thought, but also super anxious. What if he didn’t enjoy her food? She might be too into her career, but cooking was her way of expressing that she cared, and if he didn’t get that message, she’d know there was truly no hope for her and the superstar.
“Now, that is a worry.” Preston patted his flat abs. “Good thing my wife can’t cook like you.”
Ally shoved him, and Preston grabbed her and pulled her in, kissing her quick. “Lucky for me, she does many other things to perfection.”
Shar loved watching them together. Ally had lacked confidence with men for most of her life. Luckily, Preston was not only smart enough to see the jewel Ally was, but also persistent enough to pursue her.
“My steak was perfect,” Gunner inserted. “Thanks, Shar.”
“Of course.” Her eyes slid to Mike. He was grinning up at her.
“Seriously the most unreal lobster of my life. And those potatoes were better than my mama’s. But don’t tell her I said that,” he said, leaning forward and looking deeply into her eyes as if he wanted to convey how much he had loved the meal.
Shar flushed with relief and happiness. He’d liked it. “You had to say that. It’s all awkward with the chef waiting for the last person at the table to throw out an empty compliment.”
Mike chuckled low and deep. Man, she loved his laugh. “There is nothing awkward about you or that gourmet meal. I loved it.”
She bowed, blushing as the rest of the table seemed to be hanging on their every word, but he loved her food. Yes! “Thank you.”
“Wish I could eat here every night.”
“Well, sad for you, you can’t. I’m closed on the Sabbath, and you’ll go back to your life of luxury on Monday, right?”
“Right.” He stared deeply into her eyes. “How soon are you done tonight?”
Shar’s heart leaped and then raced so hard and fast she could barely catch a breath to form the words. “I can leave at any time. The rush is over, and I have two other chefs here tonight.”
“Would you take a walk on the beach with me?”
“I could let you be that lucky.”
“That lucky?” His finely-formed eyebrows rose.
“To spend time with me.”
Ally laughed, and Shar quickly remembered they weren’t alone. She’d gotten pretty lost in his gaze. Preston and Ally were grinning at the interaction. Lily had an almost … concerned look on her face, but Gunner was glowering at the two of them.
Shar had no clue what that was all about. She took a step closer to Mike. They were doing this walk, dang it, and Gunner Steele had nothing to say about that. “It was good to see you, Lily and Gunner.”
Gunner nodded, and Lily smiled. “Thank you again. Dinner was amazing.”
“Anytime.”
“I’ll be back at the house later,” she said to Ally and Preston.
“Take your time,” Ally said with an obnoxious wink, seeming to forget her insistence that Shar spend every spare minute with her.
Shar’s cheeks were hot as she met Mike’s gaze. “I’ll just go let everyone know I’m leaving, and grab my purse.”
“I’ll be waiting,” he said in a deep, sonorous voice that promised so many things, she felt her heart beating even faster.
“Lucky you.” She gave him a brave smile that she wasn’t really feeling inside, waved to everyone else, and hurried to the kitchen. Tonight may just be the best night of her entire life. Kelly and Anna were going to freak out.
Chapter Five
Mike stood with the rest of the group and pulled out his wallet. He threw a couple hundred-dollar bills onto the table and noticed the other two men do the same.
“She wanted it to be on the house,” Ally scolded them.
“There’s no way we are not paying for all of that food,” Preston shot right back. The table was covered with the remains of appetizers, dinners, desserts, and drinks.
“I know, I’m just telling you she isn’t going to like it.”
“Her problem, not mine,” Preston said.
Ally rolled her eyes but didn’t refute him. She hugged Gunner and Lily, then got to Mike. Giving him a brief squeeze, she murmured, “Be good to my sister.”
“I will,” Mik
e promised. He should probably tell her it was just a walk on the beach. He was enthralled with Shar Heathrow, but he knew from the look in Gunner’s eyes that he wasn’t happy about Mike encouraging anything between them. And even if Shar couldn’t possibly be the stalker, there was still a stalker out there.
Ally swatted him on the butt and walked away with Preston to the parking lot. She was so funny that he couldn’t help but laugh.
Gunner inclined his head toward the beach, and the three of them walked off the wooden planks of the restaurant.
“Mike?” A female voice interrupted them from leaving.
Mike spun to face her as the other two walked quietly away. “Meredith?”
His college girlfriend was looking gorgeous on the arm of a preppy-looking guy with highlighted, swoopy hair. “Hi! Imagine meeting you here. On a weekend getaway?”
He nodded. Surprised was too mild to describe running into Meredith. He’d been so relieved when he finally broke away from her, and he’d managed to avoid her most of the time when he went home to Birmingham. His family was tight with her, so occasionally, he’d had to run into her. “Bye week.”
“Aw, that’s great. It’s so good to see you.” She smiled and waved. “Well, I’m on a hot date, so ta-ta.”
Mike nodded to the man, wanting to tell him he could definitely have her. He lifted a hand to Meredith and hurried onto the trail toward the beach. He found Gunner and Lily a few dozen feet away.
“Was that … the Meredith?” Lily asked.
Mike nodded. Lily knew her stuff. She’d seen pictures of Meredith, but how had she remembered? “Yes.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “We’ll call it in and see what she’s doing here.”
“I don’t like this at all,” Gunner started. “Meredith here. You alone with Shar.”
“You can easily follow us, and we both know how unlikely it is that Shar could be the stalker.” He kept one eye on the restaurant so he wouldn’t miss Shar when she walked back out. Seeing Meredith had unnerved him. She was still his number one vote for the stalker, but she’d seemed fine and more interested in her date than him. It was a little odd the guy hadn’t recognized him or said anything.
“Do we?” Gunner challenged him.
Lily smiled up at her husband. “We’ll head north on the sand a little bit then turn around and watch for you. You walk south, and we’ll keep you in our sights. It’ll be fine, and we’ll get Sutton’s guys all over what Meredith is up to.”
“Thanks, Lily.”
Gunner looked like he wanted to argue, but Shar walked out of the double doors from the kitchen. Mike instinctively started toward her, done with Gunner’s protests. She looked so beautiful in a simple white t-shirt and black shorts, with her dark hair up in a ponytail, showcasing her smooth neck. Her eyes darted around hopefully but then filled with disappointment. He had to be careful, so Meredith didn’t see him with Shar. He could see Meredith and her date across the open-air restaurant. Her back was to him, and they both had their menus open. Keeping one eye on Meredith, Mike strode faster toward Shar. He couldn’t stand for her to think he’d ditched out on her. Gunner might have reservations, but he didn’t. This walk on the beach was going to be amazing.
Shar said goodbye to her employees, thanking John, her senior assistant chef for closing up tonight. Usually, she was there until close even if she wasn’t scheduled to be, but the assistant chefs didn’t say anything. The teenagers, Kelly and Anna, had plenty to say.
“Where you going with that stu-ud?”
“You gonna kiss Mike Kohler?”
“Can I watch?”
“Oh my goodness, he’s so hot!”
Shar opened her hand and flapped it open and closed. “This is what you’re doing.” Then, she slapped her fingers together and clenched them tightly. “This is what I need.”
“Ha!” Kelly laughed. “You’re just embarrassed because I’m right. You lo-ove Mike Kohler. You’re going to date him. You’re going to kiss him,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“Oh, stop.” Shar laughed and slung her purse across her chest, so it was secure. “See you next Friday night.” Kelly and Anna were great little employees, but they were also high school students and involved in school. Weekdays at the restaurant during the fall weren’t busy, so it worked out perfectly to have them be her waitresses and bussers on the weekend afternoons or nights that they could fit in.
She walked out into the restaurant. It was finally starting to slow down. Weekends were always busy, but usually, fall and spring were slower. In the winter, she was only open on Friday and Saturday evenings for locals and the few vacationers who liked quiet, cooler beach time. Her eyes darted around for the group, but only their dishes on the table remained. Disappointment laced through her. Why had Mike asked her to go on a walk and then ditched her?
She glanced at the table, seeing bills fluttering in the slight breeze. Her eyes widened. Large bills. She counted six hundred dollars. She’d told them it was on the house. Even if she’d charged them, the total would’ve been under two hundred dollars. She was highly successful with her restaurant, and she could afford to spoil her family and friends. She was going to have words with Preston and Gunner, but Mike … did he think he could just buy her off, and she would be so happy with the money, she wouldn’t care that he’d ditched her?
A large person strode from the beach trail, stopping close to the restaurant. Shar’s eyes fixed on him, and she sighed. Mike. She forgot all about her frustration over the money and drank in the sight of him as he motioned to her. She was powerless to resist any invitations from him, and she hurried across the wooden planks of the restaurant floor, toward him. He smiled and put a hand on her back, escorting her away from the restaurant before he stopped and turned toward her. A tentative smile crossed his handsome face. He was so tall and manly. She felt dainty and petite being near him. She liked it.
“Hey,” he said.
“I thought you’d ditched me,” she blurted out.
“No,” he said quickly. “No, I just walked out on the beach for a bit while I waited for you.”
She smiled, relief almost as strong as her attraction to him rushed over her. After the impression she’d made last night, she never would’ve imagined that he would be waiting for her. So they could walk on the beach. Nerves and joy assaulted her as he extended his hand. Placing her hand in his, she felt the rightness of his large palm enclosing over her own. This was a man who would protect and love. Could there ever be a world where the man she idolized would honestly be interested in her?
They walked slowly down the trail to the beach.
“Thanks again for dinner,” Mike said. “It was amazing.”
Shar stopped on the trail before they got to the sand. Dinner. “It was supposed to be my treat. You guys shouldn’t have left so much money.”
Mike shrugged, and those shoulders looked so tough, she wanted to touch one of them. “Sorry, we couldn’t not pay for all that delicious food.”
Shar started walking again. “Well, next time you’d better keep your money in your pocket.”
Mike stared down at her. They left the path and squished into the sand. “Is there going to be a next time?” he asked.
Shar bit at her lip and tilted her head up to him. She squeezed his hand and couldn’t even find it in her to tease. “I hope so.”
Mike grinned and clasped her hand tighter. “Me too.”
They walked through the soft sand and down toward the water where the sand was packed harder. Lights from houses and hotels blinked from their right, and a pale moon reflected off the endless waves to their left.
“You’re lucky to live here.”
“Yeah, I am.” Though for the past couple of years, luck had had nothing to do with it as she’d worked her tail off to start her own restaurant.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Two years. Right after I graduated from culinary school, I found the restaurant. It was run down, and the owner
was ready to give up, so I got a loan with a little help from my parents, and worked my butt off.” She still worked hard every day. Her restaurant was doing awesome, and she’d been able to pay her parents back, pay down her loan every month, and had a fat savings account. She was hoping to pay off her loan in the next couple of years and buy one of the houses in her neighborhood of Sea Pines, instead of renting.
“That’s great. Where’d you go to school?”
“Atlanta Culinary Art School, but I finished my undergrad at Auburn first.”
His head whipped down toward her. “What? That’s where I went.”
“I know,” she murmured.
“Four years ago?” he asked. “We would’ve been there at the same time.”
“We were.”
Mike released her hand and stared down at her. The look in his eyes was conflicted. As if he was interested in her yet wary of her. She supposed as famous and wealthy as he was, he’d have to be leery around women.
She jutted out her chin and folded her arms across her chest. If he was going to be all scared of her, she was going to call him out. “I told you I was an obsessed fangirl. What are you going to do about it?”
Mike took an obvious step back. “You’ve been obsessed with me since college?”
Shar rolled her eyes, her insides churning. Every time they were together, she seemed to mess it all up. But at the same time, why was he so sensitive? I mean, besides being an ultra-handsome superstar sensation, he was nothing special. “You want to make something of it?”
Mike gave a chortled laugh, but then he shook his head and gestured back toward the restaurant and parking lot. “We’d better go.”
“No.” Shar surprised herself by saying. “Why do you keep acting like I’m going to attack you or something?”
Mike’s eyebrows lifted. He folded his arms across his chest. “Why do you keep acting so … fangirl obsessive with me? I’m just a regular guy, Shar.”
“There’s nothing regular about you. Buck up and realize you’re a superstar stud who’s so stinking handsome, every woman wants you.” Nothing like revealing exactly how much she wanted him.
The Pursued Patriot: Georgia Patriots Romance Page 4
